Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between principal business analysts and business analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a principal business analyst and a business analyst. Additionally, a principal business analyst has an average salary of $115,081, which is higher than the $74,431 average annual salary of a business analyst.
The top three skills for a principal business analyst include provide management, shared services and project management. The most important skills for a business analyst are project management, data analysis, and business analysis.
| Principal Business Analyst | Business Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $115,081 | $74,431 |
| Hourly rate | $55.33 | $35.78 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 164,208 | 170,514 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A principal business analyst provides analytical services to recommend strategies that will optimize business operations. Among their responsibilities include gathering and analyzing data, understanding the purpose and needs of daily operations, performing market research and analysis to identify trends and opportunities, determine the strengths and weaknesses of current procedures, and develop solutions against problem areas. They must also conduct risk assessments, maintain documentation, and present findings through reports and presentations. Moreover, a principal business analyst must lead and encourage staff to reach goals while implementing and promoting the company's policies and regulations.
Business analysts are employees who are responsible for interpreting business data and coming up with business solutions. They are well-versed in whatever business the company is in, and they have strong business acumen. They collect data related to the business and then interpret and analyze the data. Business analysts should be able to conduct different levels of analyses and must also be able to create a sound study. Once the analysis is done, they provide recommendations or strategic direction to decision-makers that will help the business become sustainable and grow.
Principal business analysts and business analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Business Analyst | Business Analyst | |
| Average salary | $115,081 | $74,431 |
| Salary range | Between $88,000 And $150,000 | Between $53,000 And $103,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Mountain View, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Mayo Clinic | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Finance |
There are a few differences between a principal business analyst and a business analyst in terms of educational background:
| Principal Business Analyst | Business Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between principal business analysts' and business analysts' demographics:
| Principal Business Analyst | Business Analyst | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 60.8% Female, 39.2% | Male, 53.9% Female, 46.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 8.5% Asian, 14.5% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 11% |